Cyrus's POV
The whole family stands in the backyard, circled around the green compost bin. Wyatt watches with teary eyes as TJ and I lower the rabbit into the bin, and I think about how desperately I want to sanitize my hands. Once TJ and I are done, we step back to allow Wyatt to come forward with a backpack of things he hasn't yet revealed.
"Goodbye, Monsoon," the boy weeps. "You were the best friend a boy could ask for."
TJ leans in to me to whisper, "Should we be concerned that his best friend was a rabbit?"
"If it persists through adolescence, yes," I respond.
"I thought you should be with some of your favorite things," Wyatt goes on, "so I brought them."
He unzips the backpack and begins taking out its contents and tossing them into the compost bin, many of which aren't compostable, so I'll have to go in and remove them tonight. First is a handful of Cheerios that he sullenly drops like confetti. Next is a full, unopened can of black beans. Then a silver watch with an ugly, muddy yellow, pleather wrist strap that I recognize. Actually, I'm quite pleased with this toss. I always hated that watch. It's all ripped up and makes any outfit look ratty instantly.
"That's where my watch went," TJ mutters.
"Shhh. He's grieving."
Finally, Wyatt places a photo inside the compost bin as he explains, "And here's a photo of our trip to the beach."
"I don't recall that," I whisper.
"We should really keep a closer eye on him."
"I'll miss you, Monsoon," Wyatt says, and then he closes the lid of the green bin, letting his tears fall.
________________________________________
Jayda's POV
My dads are with Wyatt in the living room, praying. I think Uncle Jonah is over there too, but everyone else is in the backyard still, going into the kitchen to get food then back out to the deck and patio every once in a while. I'm listening to Hazel talk about—I don't know—something, but I can't focus when I see the gate to the yard open, and a girl I don't recognize comes in and hugs Andreas. First of all, since when does Andreas bring girls anywhere important? Also, how does he know one so pretty? She has dark brown hair in tight waves down to her waist, and the highlighter on her bronze cheeks sparkles in the sun. She's wearing a pale blue sundress that floats as she moves. Are they related, and I just never heard about this? No. Buffy doesn't have siblings, and I'm pretty sure Marty's family is all white. That can't be it. Actually, she could be adopted like me. I've never met any of his cousins before.
Although Hazel's still talking, I'm hardly paying attention as she asks, "Do you think high school will eat me alive?"
"Yeah, probably. Um, who's that?"
I nod in the girl's direction, and Hazel finds the source of my focus.
"That's Andreas's girlfriend."
His girlfriend? Andreas with a girl like that? But really, his girlfriend?
"No, seriously," I say.
"Seriously," Hazel repeats. "That's his girlfriend."
"No way."
"Okay, can you move past this denial phase?"
"Since when does he have a girlfriend?" I ask, glancing back at the couple.
"He met her at camp," Hazel explains. "She was another one of the camp counsellors."
YOU ARE READING
The Good Hair Family Sitcom
Fanfiction{4 seasons and complete} Tyrus, Ambi, Muffy, and Wonah are adults now, but growing up and having families brings new kinds of challenges. Through the complications of them and their kids, their life-long friendship is the one thing they can always r...
